Mitt Romney continues to prove that he will say anything to get elected. Despite his claims of not being “anti-immigrant” in today’s Univision forum, Mitt Romney has adopted the most extreme immigration policies in the Republican field, said he would veto the DREAM Act (supported by his own Republican advisors), said all undocumented immigrants should self-deport and even embraced the endorsements of controversial figures like Kris Kobach, who was the architect of the most extreme, anti-immigrant state immigration laws. Romney has shown time and again that he does not understand the plight that many Hispanic families go through – whether it’s his out-of-touch comments on immigration or his “let it hit the bottom” plan for the housing market.

ROMNEY HAS THE MOST EXTREME IMMIGRATION POLICIES IN THE REPUBLICAN FIELD

Romney Is Furthest To The Right Of The Republican Field On Immigration. “But Perry’s first major stumble in the primary race occurred when Romney attacked him from the right on the question of immigration: A generic ‘ideology score’ can’t capture the fact that, for millions of voters (especially Hispanics) who see immigration as a make-or-break issue, it is Romney, not Perry, who is furthest to the right.” [Bloomberg, 11/14/11]

·Romney Takes A Hard Line On Immigration His Supporters Worry He Will Damage Himself With The Fastest-Growing Population Of Voters: Hispanics. “With Romney’s recent move to wield the immigration issue as a club against Rick Perry — painting him as ‘soft’ on a topic that resonates with the Republican primary electorate — the former Massachusetts governor is taking advantage of a rare opportunity to outflank Perry on the right among conservatives. After the Texas governor wounded himself with his remarks in the last debate, Romney seized on the issue of illegal immigration, trying to paint Perry as an open-border softy who is giving out freebies to people who enter the country illegally. But the tactic is not without risk, and some strategists — and even some Romney supporters — are beginning to worry that he could damage himself as a general election candidate with the fastest-growing population of voters who are up for grabs: Hispanics.” [Politico, 10/4/11]

Washington Post: “Republicans Are Increasingly Worried” That Mitt Romney’s “Heated Rhetoric On Illegal Immigration” May Undermine The Party’s Efforts To “Win A Competitive Slice Of The Fast-Growing Hispanic Vote.” “Republicans are increasingly worried that their party’s efforts to win a competitive slice of the fast-growing Hispanic vote in important presidential battleground states are being undermined by Mitt Romney’s heated rhetoric on illegal immigration. Several leading GOP strategists say Romney’s sharp-tongued attacks have gained wide attention in Hispanic media and are eroding the party’s already fragile standing in that community.” [Washington Post, 12/19/11]

ROMNEY SAID HE WOULD VETO THE DREAM ACT AND HAS CALLED IT A “HANDOUT”

When Asked If He Would Veto The DREAM Act, Romney Said, “The Answer Is Yes.” “‘The question is if I were elected and Congress were to pass the Dream Act, would I veto it and the answer is yes,’ Romney said.” [Reuters, 12/31/11; Le Mars, IA Meet & Greet, 12/31/11]

When Asked About His Opposition To The DREAM Act, Romney Said That If “Hispanic-American” Voters Want “A President Who Is Going To Talk To Them About A Handout Or More Benefits For Free, They Got That Guy.” Romney: “You know, the Hispanic-American voters I speak with are overwhelmingly concerned with opportunity. They want good jobs in America and rising incomes. If they want a president who is going to talk to them about a handout or more benefits for free, they got that guy.” [Starting Point, CNN, 1/4/12]

Romney Suggested The DREAM Act Was “Favoritism” And “A Special Route” For Undocumented Immigrants To Become Permanent Residents Or Citizens. Romney: “Now with regards to immigration policy, I absolutely believe that those who come here illegally should not be given favoritism or a special route to becoming permanent residents or citizens that's not given to those people who have stayed in line legally. I just think we have to follow the law, I think that's the right course. … I have indicated I would veto the DREAM Act if provisions included in that act to say that people who are here illegally, if they go to school here long enough, get a degree here that they can become permanent residents. I think that's a mistake. I think we have to follow the law and insist those who come here illegally, ultimately return home, apply, and get in line with everyone else.” [Fox News/Wall Street Journal SC Debate, 1/16/12]

ROMNEY COURTED AND TOUTS THE ENDORSEMENT OF KANSAS SEC. OF STATE KRIS KOBACH, ONE OF THE AUTHORS OF THE ARIZONA AND ALABAMA ANTI - IMMIGRATION LAWS

Romney Announced The Endorsement Of Kansas Secretary Of State Kris Kobach. [Romney For President, 1/11/12]

Kris Kobach Helped Draft Immigration Laws In Arizona And Alabama. “Kobach, a Republican, pushed legislators last year to impose requirement, but some legislators were wary of the idea. Kobach is a former University of Missouri-Kansas City law professor who's become nationally known for helping state and local officials draft measures designed to crack down on illegal immigration, and he helped draft tough laws in Alabama and Arizona. He contends a proof-of-citizenship requirement will prevent illegal immigrants from registering to vote, but he sees the rule as part of a broader attempt to combat election fraud.” [Associated Press, 1/11/12]

Romney On Kansas Secretary Of State Kris Kobach: “I’m So Proud To Earn Kris’s Support. … Kris Has Been A True Leader On Securing Our Borders And Stopping The Flow Of Illegal Immigration Into This Country.” Romney: “I’m so proud to earn Kris’s support. … Kris has been a true leader on securing our borders and stopping the flow of illegal immigration into this country. We need more conservative leaders like Kris willing to stand up for the rule of law. With Kris on the team, I look forward to working with him to take forceful steps to curtail illegal immigration and to support states like South Carolina and Arizona that are stepping forward to address this problem.” [Romney For President, 1/11/12]

·Kansas Secretary Of State Kris Kobach, A Romney Supporter, Helped Draft SB 1070, Arizona’s Controversial Anti-Immigration Law. “Kobach is one of the chief supporters of state-led immigration crackdowns, and helped draft SB 1070, the first of a wave of such laws in Arizona. Since then, Georgia, South Carolina, Indiana and Alabama have passed similar laws to SB 1070.” [Huffington Post, 1/11/12]

Romney Endorser Kansas Secretary Of State Kris Kobach Said He Supported “Attrition Through Enforcement” Which Seeks To Drive Out Undocumented Immigrants By Making It “More Difficult” For Them To Live And Work In An Area. “In a telephone interview Monday from South Carolina, Mr. Kobach said he is guided by the ‘attrition through enforcement’ principle, which seeks to drive out illegal immigrants by making it ‘more difficult’ for them to live and work in an area.” [Wall Street Journal, 1/16/12]

ROMNEY SUPPORTED DEPORTING EVERY UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT

When Asked If Someone Who Has Been A Law-Abiding Citizen For 25 Years Should Be Allowed To Stay, Romney Said, "I'm Not Going To Start Drawing Lines Here About Who Gets To Stay And Who Gets To Go." [CNN/Heritage/AEI Debate, 11/22/11]

Romney: 12 Million Undocumented Immigrants Should Not Be Allowed to Stay Permanently. At the ABC GOP Debate on January 5, 2008, Romney said: “I disagree fundamentally that the 12 million people who come here illegally, should be allowed to stay here permanently. I think that is a form of amnesty and that it’s not appropriate.” [NH ABC Debate, 1/5/08]

Romney Supported “Self-Deportation” For Undocumented Immigrants. SMITH: “You say you don`t want to go and round up people and deport them, but you also say that they would have to go back to their home countries and then apply for citizenship. So, if you don`t deport them, how do you send them home?” ROMNEY: “Well, the answer is self-deportation, which is people decide they can do better by going home because they can`t find work here because they don`t have legal documentation to allow them to work here. And so we`re not going to round people up. The way that we have in this society is to say, look, people who have come here legally would, under my plan, be given a transition period and the opportunity during that transition period to work here, but when that transition period was over, they would no longer have the documentation to allow them to work in this country. At that point, they can decide whether to remain or whether to return home and to apply for legal residency in the United States, get in line with everybody else. And I know people think but that`s not fair to those that have come here illegally.” [NBC Florida Debate, 1/23/12]

AS GOVERNOR, ROMNEY RANKED 47TH OUT OF 50 IN JOB CREATION, WHILE WAGES AND INCOME IN MASSACHUSETTS FELL

In Romney’s Four Years As Governor Massachusetts Ranked 47th Out Of 50 In Jobs Growth. “The Republican contender was the governor of Massachusetts from January 2003 to January 2007. And during that time, according to the U.S. Labor Department, the state ranked 47th in the entire country in jobs growth. Fourth from last. The only ones that did worse? Ohio, Michigan and Louisiana. In other words, two rustbelt states and another that lost its biggest city to a hurricane. The Massachusetts jobs growth over that period, a pitiful 0.9%, badly lagged other high-skill, high-wage, knowledge economy states like New York (2.7%), California (4.7%) and North Carolina (7.6%). The national average: More than 5%.” [Marketwatch, 2/23/10]

MassachusettsWages and Income Fell By 2% During Romney Years. “Between 2002 and 2006, the median real (inflation adjusted) weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers in Massachusetts is estimated to have fallen by $10 or nearly 2 percent. The real income of the average (median) family in Massachusetts in 2005 was 1 percent below its value at the time of the 2000 Census while median household income was 3 percent below its 2000 value. Median household income fell even more sharply in the nation. Family incomes in both the United States and Massachusetts have become more unevenly distributed since 2000.” [Boston Globe, 7/28/07]

Between 2003 And 2005 The Median Hourly Wage For Massachusetts Workers Fell 5%--The Largest Decline In The Country During That Period. “Perhaps even worse, wages in Massachusetts, after adjusting for inflation, have dropped across the labor force over the last few years. In particular, the median hourly wage that is, the wage earned by the typical Massachusetts worker fell close to 5 percent between 2003 and 2005, the largest decline in the country during that period and the largest two-year decline in Massachusetts in at least twenty-five years.” [Massachusetts Budget And Policy Center, 9/3/06]

ON HOUSING, ROMNEY SAID WE SHOULD LET THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS “RUN ITS COURSE” AND SAID BANKS ARE “FEELING THE SAME THING” AS STRUGGLING HOMEOWNERS

Romney: “Don’t Try To Stop The Foreclosure Process. Let It Run Its Course And Hit The Bottom.” Romney: “As to what to do for the housing industry specifically and are their things that you can do to encourage housing. One is, don’t try to stop the foreclosure process. Let it run its course and hit the bottom. Allow investors to buy homes, put renters in them, fix the homes up and let it turn around and come back up. The Obama administration has slow walked the foreclosure process [inaudible] that has long existed and as a result we still have a foreclosure overhang.” [Las Vegas Review-Journal, 10/17/11]

Romney Told Florida Residents Concerned About Losing Their Homes: “Banks Are Scared To Death Of Course… So They’re Feeling The Same Thing That You’re Feeling.” Romney told Florida residents: “Well the banks are scared to death, of course, because they think that they’re going to go out of business. They’re afraid that if they write all these loans off that they’re going to go broke. So they’re feeling the same thing that you’re feeling, so they just want to pretend like all this is going to get paid so they don’t have to write it off and potentially go out of business themselves.” [Romney Roundtable, Tampa FL, 1/23/12]

In tonight’s Iowa Debate Mitt Romney casually offered a $10,000 bet, after calling a $1,500 tax break for the middle class a band-aid. Mitt Romney may not know what $10,000 means to middle class families, but here’s what the average American family can buy with $10,000:

While both Romney and Gingrich claim they’d support and defend Israel, they’ve both advocated for starting foreign aid at zero, including Israel. And a fundraiser for Romney served as a lobbyist for the Arab Bank, which was investigated by the Treasury Department for funneling money to Palestinian terrorists. Their records stand in stark contrast to President Obama, who has constantly demonstrated his unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security and well-being, strengthening the unbreakable bond between our two nations. In both word and deed, the President has signaled to the world that the US‐Israel relationship is stronger than ever.

On immigration, Mitt Romney’s position is the most far-right of the Republican field. Tonight, he once again highlighted his extreme plan and said, “My own view is, those 11 million should register the fact they're here in the country. They should give some transition period of time, allow them settle their affairs and then return home and get in line at the back of the line with everybody else that wants to come here.” With plans like this, it’s clear that Romney is continuing his race to the right and taking his place as one of the most extreme presidential candidates in American history on immigration.

First, Romney said his health care plan in Massachusetts would be a model for the nation. Then, he flip flopped and said it shouldn’t. In reality, the national health reform law that Romney has vowed to repeal was based on Romney’s plan in Massachusetts.

Both Romney and Gingrich claim their policies are good for the American middle class. But the reality is the economic plans they’ve embraced slash taxes on corporations and the wealthiest Americans and do nearly nothing for the middle class.

In 2007, Gingrich Praised The Freddie Mac Business Model And Warned Against Changing It, In Direct Contrast With His Current Assertion That He Warned The Mortgage Company Of Its “Insane” Business Practices.

First, Romney was against extending the payroll tax cut because it was a “temporary little Band-Aid.” Then, he said he’d “like to see the payroll tax cut extended” because it helps American families. And tonight, he again called the payroll tax cut a “little Band-Aid.” His flip-flopping on the payroll tax cut - and his economic plan - shows middle-class Americans whose side he’s really on. And if $1500 for the average American family is a “little Band-Aid,” then why does his plan only give them $54?

Tonight, Mitt Romney said that we need to have trade policies that make sense for America, not just for the people with whom we trade. This President has not done that. And China, who has been cheating, has to be cracked down on.

Romney can’t make up his mind on what his strategy would be in Afghanistan. First, he wouldn’t say what he’d do. Then in January, he said it was his “desire” not to leave Afghanistan. Five months later, he claimed he wanted the troops to come home as soon as possible.

Romney and the rest of the Republican field support zeroing out foreign aid, even with our closest allies – including Israel. But in true Romney fashion, after he supported zeroing out aid to Israel, he flip flopped and said he wanted to increase it instead. And at tonight’s debate, he said his first foreign trip as president would be to Israel to demonstrate our strong relationship.

President Obama has launched a series of trailblazing initiatives to protect the health and safety of the American people, reduce our dependence on imported oil and promote responsible use of domestic energy and new, clean energy technologies

The latest GOP debate proved that none of the Republican candidates have a plan to create jobs. But we did hear from Rick Perry about Mitt Romney’s record on jobs, and from Romney on Perry’s record on children’s health care.

At last night's GOP presidential debate, instead of offering a plan to improve the lives of middle-class Americans, the Republican candidates fought over which one of them has changed their position the most since their books came out. None of them managed to offered a single new idea.

Rick Perry can try to blame others for the state of health care in Texas, but middle-class Texans know the reality: Under Governor Perry’s policies, health insurance premiums have risen 105 percent, nearly 6.5 million Texans are uninsured, and the state has spent as little as possible on health care.

If there’s one thing debate watchers could count on, it’s a full-fledged attack on Social Security from the Republican candidates. These are the same candidates who have previously called for privatizing Social Security and even labeled it a “Ponzi scheme” – and we heard more of the same tonight.

Mitt Romney claims he’ll lower taxes for the middle class, but his plan will actually let special interests write their own rules, provide more tax cuts to large corporations and wealthy Americans, and cost $2.1 trillion.

Tonight’s debate confirmed that the Republican candidates are more interested in saying what the Tea Party wants to hear than in doing what the American people are demanding: -- more interested in arguing if Social Security is a "fraud" or a "Ponzi scheme" than in creating jobs.

From Rick Perry criticizing Mitt Romney's record on jobs to Jon Huntsman's charge that his fellow Republicans are running from science, the Republican candidates took the gloves off and attacked each other at last night's debate.

The Republican candidates attacked President Obama on border security, but his record is clear: unprecedented resources for securing our border and a smart and effective approach to enforcing immigration laws.

President Obama has been pursuing all forms of responsible domestic energy production -- including a record investment in clean technology and the approval of the first new nuclear plant in 30 years. The Republican candidates, however, would all protect special tax breaks for oil companies at the expense of middle class families.

Though the Republican candidates rail against health care reform now, their criticism ignores the reality of their records. Two candidates implemented similar health reforms in their states and another’s has the highest rate of uninsured people in the nation.

While Mitt Romney might like to claim that he’s the Republican candidate with the economic experience needed to be president, his record – from ranking 47th in job creation to raising taxes on individuals and businesses – tells a very different story.

While Perry might like to talk about the "Texas miracle," the reality is it’s just another Texas Tall Tale – just remember that growth has been driven by factors he didn’t control, like rising oil prices and increased military spending.

As governor, Mitt Romney bragged to the S&P that he had cut spending and raised taxes in Massachusetts. But at tonight’s debate, he flip flopped on the balanced approach he once took, even rejecting a compromise proposal of 10 spending cuts to every one revenue increase.

In tonight’s debate, Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann reiterated that they opposed the compromise debt agreement. They in fact are following the extreme wing of their party that would have allowed our nation to default for the first time in history, which would have had disastrous effects for our economy.